April 18, 2006
COLLEGE STUDENTS AND TELEVISION
Next week, April 24-30th, is TV-Turnoff Week. Take a look at Adbusters' audacious coverage of the event and, if you agree with the cause, spread the word.
My honor's seminar in Thinking and Writing at Seton Hill University is using this week to perform an assigned "activism" project which asks student groups to advocate for a change of some kind in the local and campus communities. Since their final research paper will discuss the role of media in relation to any of the subjects we've studied all term, it's a fitting exercise, bringing their research together with their actions.
I've had students do media fasting as a class project before, and it's a real eye-opener for both me and the students. For one thing, I'm always surprised at how little television college students claim to watch -- and how media-dependent they really still are, despite being full-time scholars with active campus lives. While it's certainly true that they are not watching as much television, and perhaps don't even have a television in their rooms, most lounge facilities on a college campus (like cafeterias) and many dorm floors do have a television set running most of the time. Moreover, I suspect today's students are watching television programs asynchronously, through downloadable clips online, or through DVDs, which now sell the archives of almost every TV series a college kid might find appealling.
Neilsen reports say that college students watch an average of 24.3 hours of television per week. That's TWICE the amount of time the average full-time student sits in a class. Another source finds an average of 3.41 hours a day, which is an hour less than the national average for TV consumption, but not very heartening. College students favor nighttime television, from 8pm-1am, and the most popular networks are ESPN, MTV and Comedy Central -- which indicate the most popular genres for students would be sports, music, and comedy entertainment, rather than the typical sitcoms and reality shows. I have a suspicion, too, just based on observation, that the Cartoon Network is also surging in popularity.
While college students might be watching an hour less than the national norm, I can see why that difference feels like they are being media deprived. I would never make a sweeping generalization about all students -- and television viewing, or any media consumption, is not inherently bad. In fact, it is educational and gives us a way to keep our fingers on the pulse of culture. But the media often asks us to turn off our critical faculties and passively consume its messages, and the statistics on this effect on social relations are pretty astounding.
I actually think there's a degree to which the networked computer monitor has become the "boob tube" in today's college dorms, as students normalize music and video streaming and multiplayer gaming. Although these activities can often be beneficial, socially engaging, and far less passive than television consumption, they do not follow a structured time pattern (a la the TV schedule) and therefore sometimes obliterate all temporal boundaries altogether -- leading a minority of students to game all night and subsequently flunk out of school. Heck, sometimes even I surf the web for hours on end, as I forget the clock. But when they're not chatting on the computer, or watching TV, or playing games on the TV, then they're yapping on the cell phone or plugged into a PSP or other mobile toy. When I've asked students to go just a day without any media, they just haven't been able to do it. But a day without television, maybe even a week, IS doable. I'm hoping my class can make a difference. I might ask them to post here, or I'll otherwise report the results of their projects at the end of next week.
Trackback Pings
You can ping this entry by using .
Comments
I'm actually with you to a great degree, Chuck -- I think TV is a great medium for information and entertainment (and more!) and it's definitely a fascinating object of study. In fact -- as you suggested about The Daily Show -- we've seen a cultural reversal of sorts and TV programs nowadays are often better than many contemporary Hollywood films! And when media scholars turn their nose up at TV I think they're missing a lot.
Although some folks take a more radical anti-TV stance, for me this whole event is really just about taking a break and reflecting on the role of the TV in our individual lives, I think. Have you seen the film THE AD AND THE EGO? There's a quote in there -- I'm forgetting who said it and what the actual words were -- that "sometimes you have to take a fish out of water for it to realize what its swimming in." Unplugging for a day or week is a way to accomplish that.
I like what you had to say about THE DAILY SHOW. It's a fascinating case study in infotainment and audience relations.
Inspired by your experiences, I've asked my Intro to Lit students to do a media fasting exercise as well. I haven't talked with them about it yet, but it's been on the syllabus since day 1.
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DennisJerz/EL150/013996.php
Well, considering that I'd probably get in trouble for not being on the computer (for email or whatever I need for class or work), I don't think I could entirely fast from media. I do subscribe to several RSS feeds instead of watching the news since I get more variety and depth as opposed to TV news. I got a TV just this year. And I don't have cable (too expensive on my budget), and I own exactly seven DVDs. Media deprived is what I've been called before purely because I'm not as media saturated as my peers... Thank goodness I never got into gaming. I don't even own a game system (though I do own ONE video game: for PS2, the Sonic the Hedgehog Sega classics... but I've played it maybe four times, any my brothers beat me).
I'd like to know students' responses to media fasting, since I've never seen TV turn-off week extend beyond high school challenges.
I'm a college student (at the ripe age of 23) and I never watch television. I do spend massive time on the internet, though. I read everything I can get my hands (or browser) on.
I too own far less DVDs than my friends (about ten). One of my friends owns over 100 DVDs.
I used to go to class with one guy who flunked out because he played Halo so much instead of studying or showing up period.
I'll go ahead and say it: if you watch more than five hours of television a week, you're an idiot.
The happiest time for me this year was when I was in Alabama for a week over spring break. There was no television and certainly no email. I ended up reading two books during the week (something I haven't done much of this semester). So there you go...if your students need motivation, you can tell them to go build houses in Alabama.
Actually it all depends on what features of TV you emphasize at. In my opinion, press and the society at the whole pay too much attention on the negative aspects of the TV, while at the same time ignoring or largely disregarding its main positive features
I was searching blogs and ran across yours. I found it very interesting. I am a college student and am completely saturated in television. I love it, but more for the pure fact that being a college student I am reading constantly. Television gives me a break, and keeps me from becoming too stressed out (though I end up doing most of my reading during commercials). I also find myself watching shows like Lost, which I learn a lot from. That show particularly gets me thinking and wondering about different religions, the philosophies of Locke and Rouseau, different sciences, etc. I do think that if one is able to break themselves off from television it is good, but I know that I couldn't do it, I would go insane. But, it was interesting reading your blog on the subject.
Thank you all for talking about TV-Turnoff Week and for those of you willing to take the challenge and do it, you will soon understand there is more to life than watching other lives being lived.
We are not anti-TV, or technology here at TV-Turnoff. Our organization is about empowering people to take control of the technology in their lives, not allowing the technology to control them.
Since programming and channels have grown in number and targeted specific groups and since the personal computer and games have become so much a part of our lives the obesity rate, ADHD and a host of other physical, mental and social problems have grown accordingly.
As people's fears have grown over the years, terror, crime, desire to protect children...we have become even more sedentary, handing over our streets to the very people we want to protect our friends and families from.
TV-Turnoff Week is about taking back our streets and our lives...it is about getting involved and making us stronger as individuals, families and communities.
Lastly, although we ask that you turn off television, electronic games and recreational computer use during Turnoff Week, we hope that you will continue to reduce your hours of screen-time after the week and stay active and involved.
All the best,
Robert Kesten
Executive Director
TV-Turnoff
Rather than ask my students to turn off TV, I teach my English composition intro research course on the intersection of television and morality. We start with a few essays in the collection _Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale_, read the philosophers the authors refer to, then watch a couple of the mentioned episodes. From there, students are encouraged to start thinking about the types of morality-based messages their favorite television shows deliver. Despite the handful of shallow papers that equate children with sponges (non-Squarepants variety), it seems fairly successful in getting students to think about television as something other than just some mindless thing you watch for no good reason.
I was just reading Rhonda Wilcox's latest book, and she points out the early 19th century trend of criticizing the amount of time people spent reading novels. Interesting how much 200 years changes things.
Pieces,
Joanne
It is now Wednesday on TV Turn-Off Week and I must say that I am feeling slightly deprived. I do not miss a specific thing about television, but merely the relaxation I get from it late at night after tons of school work. I don't feel like reading, even for pleasure, after all of that work is finally finished.
It has been quite an experience so far getting other students to join in on our TV fast, and I must say it has been quite unsuccessful, at least on my dorm floor. It makes one realize how attached we are to media that we cannot even try to give it up for one short week. I am positive that I can make it through this fast though, maybe not easily, but I can do it.
I also have had the same experience as Siena, in regards to trying to get people to participate in tv turn off week. Many of the students who I speak to who watch tv and refuse to abstain claim that it is their only time in the day to relax after completing homework and other activities. While I find this hard to believe (I do not have a tv in my room, I purposely sent it back home so that I would not have the distraction of television) I feel that these people are entitled to waste their time however they see fit. I am somewhat excited because on Sunday, for the end of tv turn off week I have put together a floor program which will create a book (rather than read a book) for the Seton Hill Library. We hope to create two. I also have put up fliers around the area with quotes on what more intellectual individuals think about television, which I found to be rather interesting.
As some of my fellow classmates have commented on, I too have had a fair amount of trouble in getting the students at Seton Hill University to partake in TV Turn Off Week. Our class has set up various activities to provide an alternative for people instead of watching television, but unfortunately not many people are partaking in them. The most common excuse I have revceived from students about not wanting to partake in this, is that they do not watch that much TV and the television they do watch acts as a form of relaxation. I personally have not had a difficult time in refraining from television because it is so close to exams, so I have been preoccuping myself easily. Tonight I have planned a Twister Tournament, and seem to have a good response to it. However, I know the primary reason these people are doing it, is not because they want to promote TV Turn Off Week, but either because they are my friends, or enjoy twister. I think although we did not have a huge impact on the students here, we have atleast made them aware of the day, and the alternatives that are out there.
As all of my classmates above, I have been participating in the TV turnoff week by posting flyers up in dorms, and our group has planned two major events for the week. Although I could not make it to the kickball night on monday because of work, I am going to be involved im the final day of TV Turnoff week where we put together a boardgames night. I have had no apparent trouble from watching television this week compared to any other week. I have a TV in my room, but I am hardly ever in there to begin with. Also, I work at least five days a week, so other than school work and hanging out with my friends, I do not have the time to sit around and watch TV. I have noticed a difference in the SHU environment from the beginning to the end of the year regarding television. At the beginning, most events were based on TV and that was what a lot of the students would do for fun, while in their rooms. An example, of the difference is, the lobby on the third floor of Brownlee. There is a poker tournament held almost every night now. And although there is a TV in the lobby with them, it is never on. I feel that our class's events did get some attention on campus, even if it wasnt the response we were hoping for. Maybe next year there will be a greater awareness and participation!
TV Turn Off Week has been difficult to promote, especially since things keep happening that I wasn’t expecting. For example, last night at dinner the screen was set up in the dining hall and the film Mean Girls was playing. I sat with my back to the screen to avoid having to look at it, but I wish I’d predicted such an occurrence so I could have eaten in my room gone out or something. I don’t have a TV in my room and I rarely bother to watch anything in the lounge so I didn’t think it would be that hard to avoid watching it altogether. The community living atmosphere of a college campus makes it more difficult for me to control if I see TV or not. If I come up the stairs to my floor I have to walk through the lounge to get to my room so I inevitably hear the TV if someone is watching it, even if I refuse to look at it. So, while I rarely sit down and watch an entire show I think I am exposed to it a lot more than I thought.
I have definitely had lots of fun participating in many of the TV Turn Off Week activities and I look forward to the ones that are coming up. (If you can come by 2nd Brownlee Sunday night and you can help us with a service project to create a children’s book and tonight at 9 is the Twister Tourney in the BUG!) I took some picture of our Monday afternoon kickball game (a very amusing time that was) and of a little late night workout that we decide to have instead of watching TV after our homework was done. We are really trying to get active this week. If you want to check out some of the pictures see the entry on my own blog about TV Turn Off Week. I hope you are all having as much fun this week as I am!
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/LorinSchumacher/2006/04/tv_turn_off_wee_1.html#comments
Throughout this week I, like my fellow classmates, have endeavored to participate in TV Turn Off Week. I have, with the help of my group mates Siena and Allison, posted flyers across SHU, in order to inform students of activities being held in honor of this week.. Attendance at these events has been sparse, however. Generally speaking most of those attending were friends who wanted only to support us, not necessarily the week itself. Nevertheless, I am happy to say that because of this week I have become more aware of television’s presence and predominance in our society. It wasn’t until yesterday at lunch, when the program “Monk” was being played on a large screen in the Dining Hall, that I realized this, a fact that was reiterated as I walked into someone’s room, in which the TV was on and I, without thinking, watched it. Despite my moment of failure I plan to continue as though nothing ever happened. I will attempt to carry out the week as it began, not watching TV, even if others can’t.
I have tried my best in this fast from television. Unfortunately, the people around me do not make it easy. I almost feel like I am missing out when I sit with friends that are not participating and they ask "Do you know who got voted off of American Idol last night?" Trust me, I would usually be the first to chime in with the answer. (Although I do know being that my mother made it a point to tell me.) I am not sad to be not watching T.V. but I do feel like I am mising out on the world. No matter how much we try to ignore it pop culture is a staple in our everyday diet.
I have had some difficulty sparking others' interest in our little project. I e-mailed the maintaince department to see if they would be able to keep the televisions in all the dorms turned off but they never returned my email. Our twister night event was relatively successful. But the major way I have kept away from the screen is by playing poker every night this week. This was a more difficult feat than I had anticipated but well worth it in the end. Sometimes, we don't even reali8ze that we put the T.V. on while we read or do homework. Perhaps, that is the biggest problem of them all.
Well, I have to say that i think this whole week is kind of ridiculous. I like watching t.v. because it keeps me informed on what is goin on in the world. It helps me to be able to talk about different issues involving our country with others as well. I always put on the t.v. to do my homework or study because it helps me relax and listen on and off. I however did try to participate in the week. Everyone I told said it was stupid and they watch t.v. for entertainment and also learn while they watch. My group and I tried to organize a freeze tag game by posting it online, but nobody came. While taking my attention away from television at night I played cards to keep myself busy and actually got into more trouble than usual because we entertained ourselves in other (mischievous) ways. Overall I feel that television is a part of everyday life and not watching it doesn't mean that people will be more physically active, healthier, or smarter. People in America shouldn't complain about the focus other people have on television. I bet that everyone that supports t.v. turnoff week watches television every other week of the year. If they were so big on the whole concept than why only choose one week?
This week has been easier than I thought it would be. The TV is usually on in my room. If my roommate and I aren't watching it directly, we have it on ESPN and turn to it whenever anything interesting happens. This week, however, it has only been on a couple of times, and then it was quickly turned off. Surprisingly, I don't miss TV at all. Perhaps it's because of all the activities and homework I've had to do. There's been capture the flag, twister, kickball, and there'll be cards to the best of my knowledge. And when I'm not playing these games, I'm actually working on the enormous amount of homework I have, which is a blessing. Hopefully this cut-back of TV can last more than just one week.
I honestly really enjoyed T.V. Turn-Off Week, a lot more than I thought I would. Although, I don’t have a T.V. in my room, I constantly have DVDs playing. (My favorite happens to be my “Friends” seasons on DVD). Even though I’m usually not completely paying attention to the movie, it is still playing while I’m working on projects, sleeping, or eating. However, I agree with Marshall when he talked about not even noticing the difference. With the end of the semester quickly approaching, the amount of work has doubled. When I wasn’t working on homework, I was participating in the activities for T.V. Turn-Off Week, which included flashlight tag, kickball, and capture the flag. Actually, I was very surprised how well our program went last night. A few people from our class showed up, but the majority of the people were friends from our building who had televisions in their room. Everyone had a great time laughing and playing Twister together. I made me realize how much fun just spending time with friends is, as opposed to sitting in front of your television. While playing Twister last night, I made a comment to my friend, “I wish every week was T.V. Turn-Off Week because it’s so much fun having something to do with you guys every night.” It’s true. Although my friends and I will probably watch television again after the end of the week, we are going to make a conscious effort to spend more time together doing physical activities, especially with the fast approach of summer.
I must agree with many of my class mates and say that the repsonse to "TV Turn Off Week" was slightly dissapointing. My group made an effort to advertise the week in a more creative way, that we hoped would grab the attention of our peers on campus. We made shirts announcning the week, giving statistics about the TV watching habits of college students nation wide, and offering alternative acitivities to watching TV. We also made a Facebook group (Facebook is an internet networking tool among college students, staff, and faculty.) and posted the events we knew about, including the game of freeze tag we tried to organize. While some events were successful, the kickball game on Monday night for example, ours was not. We waited for 1/2 an hour and no one came. I think, though, that the poor attendance at our event doesn't necessarily reflect a poor attitude about the week as a whole. But rather, it just reinforces what we already know: the last week of spring sports, and the 2nd week before finals means that pretty much all students on campus are swamped! (As Marshall, above, tesified to.)
Overall, though, when trying to inform friends and classmates about TV Turn Off Week, the response was pretty apathetic. Most students stated that television was a way for them to "zone out" after a long, stressful day. I think next year, if we focus more on offering alternative acitivities, and also if the class works together more as an entire class, the event could be successful. Maybe making a slogan for the entire group to use, planning and advertising for events together (or seperating into groups: one to plan, one to advertise, one to organize and initiate the actual event..) and really focusing on the alternative activites planned would help get the entire campus together to turn off their TVs. Also, with more notice (as in, the beginning of the semester) the organizations that plan events using TV (like the one in the cafeteria that night at dinner, or the weekly movie) can work more with the class for TV Turn Off Week.
This week was indeed an experience, and while I personally don't have a TV in my room, it was interesting to observe the weeks events and everyone's reactions. Thanks to everyone who participated in our class's events!
THANK YOU to everyone for commenting -- I was particularly happy to hear from Robert Keston and I appreciate all my students for sharing their disparate experiences of TV TurnOff week. This gives us all a lot to chew on. I hope that any sour experiences this week don't turn you off from future forms of activism and awareness-raising; it really does make a difference!
I stumbled across your blog while I was doing some online research. As an educator, I am always dismayed when I hear from students the amount of time they spend on a weekly basis watching T.V. With cable and now satellite T.V., there are so many choices available 24 hours a day, they literally can hardly tear themselves away from the boob tube!
I don't think TV holds sway over student's attention these days. It's the internet. Ask the average teener- she'd admit clocking in an average of 5 hours a day online!
(like myself)
I got in trouble for being dismissive of TV Turnoff Week last year, so I won't make that mistake again, but I'm wondering about the "real" motivations of the anti-television stance. Why is TV typically seen as harmful when The Daily Show (to name one example) can encourage thinking in a way that an Adam Sandler movie might not.
Several of my students have participated in TV Turnoff Weeks in the past (in high school or, more likely, middle school), and we had an interetsing conversation about it, but as someone who studies media, it's hard for me to justify completely turning off the TV.